


My...Lady?

by Aspiring_Life



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien struggles, Bisexual Adrien Agreste, F/M, Gen, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, M/M, Male!Marinette - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-07-16 12:52:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7268965
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspiring_Life/pseuds/Aspiring_Life
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><strike>What to write without spoilers?</strike> After Ladybug is hit by a stray arrow in battle she is affected by the Akuma's power. It throws both Chat Noir, the normally suave hero, and his civilian self into a painful situation of scorn and longing. Watch as this hero overcomes his fear of disappointing his lady (and not living up to his sexuality standard). <strike>Okay, so spoilers.</strike></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chat watched in horror as the arrow flew through the air, straight for his Lady. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as he launched himself forward, his feet moving below him long before his voice had even thought of leaving his throat.

He felt every muscle in his legs propelling him, the earth seeming to work for him as he virtually shot over to her. But, for once, he wasn’t fast enough.

He saw the point at which it struck her sternum. He saw the way it dissolved into the dark energy as the Akuma's power took hold of her. He saw the way her eyes rolled back into her head as her body was covered in a black cloak.

He felt the shock wave that knocked him back as she was transformed.

He closed his eyes against the burst, his heart racing, and his breath coming short. _Don’t cry,_ he chided himself. _Just, see what the damage is, then react._

This was a new form of Akuma. They’d encountered Akuma who could change people’s abilities or their own appearances, but never before had they encountered an Akuma who could actually change a person’s body.

Let alone what sex they were.

Chat looked up slowly, his eyes opening hesitantly. Instantly, his gaze was met by an equally scared look, a sea of roiling blue meeting his meadow green.

_Damn,_ he thought looking at his partner.

Ladybug now stood before him, but it wasn’t Ladybug. The young man before him stood slightly shorter than himself, with medium length black hair--the blue highlights still visible--and a slim figure. Her signature curves had been transformed into flat and muscular plains that Chat had to admit, were quite impressive. Ladybug still had her sort of elegant beauty to her, just different. Now instead of the feminine elegance, it was sort of an elegant look that could only be compared to art.

She was the same, but...completely different simultaneously.

The young polka dotted hero--had her, _their_ , suit always been so tight?--turned and growled at the Akuma, the noise drawing a shiver from Chat.

“What’s the use in this? I’ll just fix everything right now.” She-- _he_ \--bit out. Her voice was no longer the beautiful melody of suprano tunes he was used to, but now was a male alto, with tones of suprano accenting the upper register.

A laugh so historic it made Chat’s hair stood on end ripped through the air as the villain let out a guttural chuckle.

“Oh, man. I hope you have fun with that, lover boy.” The akuma said in tears.

And with that, she smiled one last time before waving a hand and disappearing all together.

Chat hadn’t realized he’d been moving until he was suddenly smashing his baton down onto the spot that the akuma had just been. He could hear the blood pounding in his ears and could feel the breath rushing through his lungs as he held himself there. He knew, that if not for his baton, clenched between his hands, he’d be shaking, and if not for the hysteric laughing escaping his mouth, he’d be crying.

He took a moment to compose himself. No use in falling apart in front of Ladybug. After he’d collected himself he stood slowly, collapsing his baton and replacing it on the back of his hips.

That’s when he had another shiver drawn from him, this time elicited from his own name. “Chat?”

He turned to see Ladybug standing there, looking herself--himself?--over. She, had a very confused look in the way she, they, turned to and fro, studying each aspect of the new body given to them.

The two heroes locked eyes after a moment, and Chat knew that he should say something, _anything_. This was still his Ladybug, after all.

“So, I guess that’s what her power does.” He tried joking, but his voice sounded weak to his own ears.

Ladybug looked around, blue eyes searching the surroundings. They stood in the courtyard of the junior high school. It was utterly silent, all of the kids having been evacuated. Still, Ladybug scanned the area.

“Did anyone else--” Ladybug broke off, bringing a hand up to touch the throat that produced the strange voice neither of them was used to.

She, _they_ shook their head and looked up, determined. “Did anyone else get hit?”

That was the knife in Chat’s heart. He was reminded that he hadn’t been fast enough. He hadn’t been able to help his lady. He’d failed at doing the one thing he’d vowed to always do.

He’d failed to protect her.

He felt his eyes welling up as he looked around. There wasn’t another soul around. The school had been empty for hours now, so there wasn’t anyone else to get hit. He tried to breath to calm himself down, his mind racing to form sentences from scattered words.

“N--no. No one else was hit.” Then his eyes fell on his partner, and he felt something in him crack. “My Lady, I’m so sorry. I was too slow. I’m so sorry.”

Ladybug looked at him, confused. “What?”

He swallowed and continued. “I...I wasn’t fast enough. I saw her pulling back her bowstring, and I thought she was aimed at me. I--I didn’t realize that you were her target. And I wasn’t able to get to you in time.” He closed his eyes and lowered his head, letting his shame wash over him. “I’ve always wanted to protect you. I’ve always been able to protect you. But this…”

He felt two hands come to land on his shoulders, larger and unfamiliar to him. He had to look up to make sure it was still the same person. There was an alien sort of proficiency in their bone structure, and the face shape, but the face to go with looked nothing like the girl he’d fallen in love with.

Ladybug smiled at him, almost at the same height now, but there was something below the smile. Fear? “Don’t beat yourself up, Kitty. I’m a boy now, so what? We can just go find that akuma and get her to change me back.”

Different voice, different face, same effect. Chat’s shoulders slowly released their tension as he allowed himself to breathe. He still felt like it was all his fault, and that he was the one to cause this, but he tried pushing that thought down, for Ladybug’s sake.

He nodded and threw on some fake determination. “Alright, let’s go get her.”

But before the two heroes could move a sharp beeping broke the air as Chat’s ring lost a toe print. He looked down at the little green light, two prints left. He felt his blood run cold as he looked back up at Ladybug.

The young man looked terrified, and Chat understood why. “My Lady?”

That’s when the same piercing chirp came from the earrings still in the spotted teen’s ears. Fear and panic flowed freely in the blue seas of Ladybug’s eyes and caused them to widen as realization hit.

“C--Chat?” Ladybug’s voice cracked out.

Chat looked around frantically. He only had two minutes left of his transformation. That was maybe enough time to make it home safely, let alone chase down and defeat an akuma. He looked at the sky, the sun was already setting.

He had a photo shoot in an hour and had to be in makeup in twenty minutes.

He looked back at Ladybug, pleading with the young hero to understand. She, they, looked so scared. He didn’t want to leave, but he had to.

“I--I’m sorry.” He whispered as his clawed fingers came to wrap around the spotted hands on his shoulders.

Ladybug still looked panicked, but nodded and seemed to swallow down the reality of the situation. She, they, brought their hands back and allowed Chat to take a few steps back. He felt a weight on his chest, restricting his breathing as he took a step towards the doors of the courtyard and grabbed his baton.

“We’ll catch that akuma, I swear. I just…” He trailed off, slowly still heading towards the doors. He would be lucky to get home in time now.

“It’s alright.” Ladybug rasped, panic making the teen tear up. “We--we can go catch them tomorrow, right?”

Chat felt a hot lump form in his throat as he crossed the door’s threshold, his miraculous giving one last warning tone. “For you, I’d search through the night if I could.”

That brought a small smile to the sparrow haired teen as Chat used his baton to propel himself into the night.

 

It would have been nice to lie and say that as soon as he left, the weight on his chest disappeared, but the opposite seemed to happen. His breathing started to come shorter, his hands stumbling on his baton as he tried to plant it on the ground, pushing himself up as he nearly plummeted to the hard cement below many times.

He wanted to scream, but at the same time he couldn’t seem to make a sound. His mind was racing.

_You’re an idiot._

_You abandoned her._

_She’s hurt because of you._

_You let this happen._

Malevolent thoughts bouncing around his head constantly, seeming to tear at him just a little more each time. He felt his heart stuttering in his chest, and it seemed like everything around him was too quiet, and yet too loud all at the same time.

He barely had time to react as his transformation released, just as he had been over his window. His sneakers slipped on the metal of his window frame and the blond went tumbling into his room, head over heels as he fell.

He landed painfully on his coffee table, his head snapping back and over the edge. The air was forced from his lungs and he could feel just how much his hands were shaking, his whole body seeming to vibrate.

Plagg came flying down and seemed to notice the state the teen was in.

“Okay, kid, look at me. Look at me!” The little cat barked until the meadow green eyes of his chosen came to lock on him. “Good, good, now, listen to me. Everything is going to be alright. Okay, let’s just breathe. Here follow me. In...out...in...out. You aren’t breathing, kid. Follow me, in...out...in...out. There you go.”

He coached the young panic stricken teen into slowly allowing his lungs to take in air, until eventually he was breathing almost at a normal rate. “Good, now, can you feel everything?”

The teen slowly started moving his limbs, testing each and making sure that they still worked. A sharp twinge of pain came from his neck and Plagg flew back behind his head.

“I--I think I have whiplash,” Adrien admitted.

He heard a little scoff and felt small paws pressed to the nape of his neck. “Normally I’d tell you not to diagnose your own injuries, but I think you’re right.”

He felt a warmth spread from that spot and within a few seconds, he heard Plagg panting and gasping for breath. “Okay, try and move it now.”

The blond did as he was told, testing his neck. Everything seemed back to normal, and Adrien didn’t know how his kwami had done it.

He sat up and tested everything one more time, just to be sure.

Then he felt the little cat collapse on his shoulder, spilling over and tumbling down the teen’s chest. He caught his friend and held him up, looking at the exhausted kwami.

“What did you do?”

Plagg huffed and rolled over, his eyes closed and sweat--kwamis could sweat?--dripping down his little whiskers. “I just gave you the healing powers of the suit temporarily. Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You’re just usually asleep when I do it. I just need some cheese. Get me some Camembert, will ya’?”

Adrien allowed himself to smile, regardless of the knot his stomach was still in. “Sure thing.”

He stood and went to the mini fridge in the corner of his room, grabbing out a wheel of cheese and peeling back the paper wrapping. He set it down on his desk and set his tired friend atop the pungent dairy. The cat licked his lips and greedily went to work on the food he considered his sustenance.

Adrien, on the other hand, lumbered over to his bed and collapsed onto the matress, looking over at his clock. He had ten minutes left before he had to go to makeup and wardrobe. He doubted he’d be any good for modeling today with his worry contorting his features.

He let out a sigh and flipped over onto his back, staring at his ceiling. “Hey, Plagg?”

The little cat didn’t even take a second to swallow before mumbling out a cheese clotted, “What?”

“Has this ever happened before?” Adrien asked, looking over at his kwami.

The little cat looked confused. “What do you mean? I’ve healed you plenty of times before.”

Adrien shook his head and sat up. “I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about Ladybug. Has anything like that ever happened before?”

Plagg finally had the decency to swallow down his food, then seemed to ponder the idea. “Ladybug and or Chat Noir being affected by an akuma’s powers and then timing out? Yeah, that’s happened plenty of times. Changing someone from a boy to a girl? Now that’s a first.”

Adrien groaned and threw an arm over his eyes. “I can’t believe this is happening. Ladybug is probably back at home having to explain to her family why she’s suddenly a guy and I’m laying here doing nothing.”

Plagg shrugged and continued eating. “Just look at it this way, now you’ll get to know who she really is.”

Adrien brought his arm up, away from his eyes, to peek at his kwami. “What do you mean?”

Plagg picked up another scrap of cheese and threw it in his mouth. “Well, since she had a history book from your year, and always seems to show up early to fights, I’d say she probably lives in this area, and or goes to your school. Tomorrow, you just have to look for any of your classmates with black hair that have suddenly swapped sexes.”

That brought on a new wave of anxiety as Adrien’s mind went racing. This was bad. This was really bad.

Ladybug had made it very clear from the start that she didn’t want anyone knowing who she really was, and that he should keep his identity a secret too. But he’d never even considered anything like this happening.

How was he to avoid looking for her during school tomorrow? How was he just to ignore the fact that she’s probably in his class and now he’ll know?

How was he supposed to keep himself from confessing to her?

He sat up, looking frantically at his kwami as his breathing started coming short again. His stomach was in a knot and his mind was racing. He felt like he couldn’t breathe and the kwami seemed to notice.

“Plagg, this is really bad.” He choked out as he gasped for air and ran a hand through his hair, trying to get the locks out of his eyes.

The little cat got up and flew over to his chosen, floating just before him. “Alright, don’t go and get yourself all stressed about this stuff. We don’t need another panic attack. Just breathe.”

“But--but Lady has always wanted her identity a secret. Now, I’ll know! I’m going to ruin the trust between us. I just--I can’t--”

The kwami sighed and flew up out of the blond’s field of vision as he started running his hands through his hair again. Adrien had to get his mind under control he knew that, but he just didn’t know how.

Then, he felt a sharp pain rake down one of his hands. He hissed and brought his hand down, studying the little claw marks that now showed on the tan skin.

He looked up accusingly at his kwami. The little cat shrugged. “I had to get you to stop panicking some how. Now, let’s get one thing straight. You will know Ladybug’s identity if she goes to your school, and, if she doesn’t then you don’t have to worry about it. Either way, it’s not that big of a deal. She’s still the same Ladybug, regardless of who she really is.”

Today was the worst day ever for timing, Adrien swore. Nathalie chose that moment to knock on his door and warn him that they had to be on their way to wardrobe for the shoot. Plagg immediately shot into the inner pocket of Adrien’s coat as he stood to go and answer the door.

As he walked down the halls leading to the waiting car Nathalie started rattling off the schedule for the rest of the night, but Adrien couldn’t have paid any less attention.

Everything is going to be okay. She’s still your Ladybug. You’ll just know who your Ladybug is. He thought as he walked out the doors to his oh, so empty house. Yeah, everything will be fine.

  


The next morning as they drove up to the school Adrien couldn’t help his legs bouncing, or his heart rate jumping. He wanted to come today, and yet he had always wanted to stay home, and claim to be sick.

He hadn’t slept a second the night before, thinking too much of how his Ladybug would be here, waiting for him to find her. But he’d always scolded himself, and reminded himself that she’d wanted to keep her identity a secret.

In the end, he’d come to school, resolving himself to simply not look, and not pay any mind to anyone that may or may not be different.

At least, that was before he noticed Alya talking to a new student. Stepping out of the silver car he went walking up to the two, the brunette turning to greet him while the other teen’s shoulders went rigged at hearing his name.

“Hey, Alya. Who are you talking to?” He asked, trying to get a better look at the new young man.

There was a pause, and Alya looked to the young man questioningly. A deep breathe, then he turned to face Adrien, and his breath caught in his throat.

He knew those blue eyes, that smattering of freckles, and that rosy blush that always had peppered her cheeks. He knew that black hair, the blue highlights catching the morning sun. How had he not seen it before?

More importantly, how had he not known before?

He stood, staring into the face of his partner.

His friend.

His Ladybug.

“Marinette?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~Forgive me fandom for I have _sinned_.~~


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien struggles with Marinette being a guy.  
> She's fine with it.  
> Nino's curious.  
> Alya's mischievous.

Adrien didn’t comprehend how the others were taking this so well. He honestly just couldn’t understand. Marinette, Ladybug, was now a boy. And he couldn’t understand how calm Marinette was about the scenario. His classmates didn’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation.

Marinette didn’t understand that if Ladybug were to somehow be caught by the public’s eye in any way, Alya would find out. If Ladybug’s the only one to be affected by an Akuma attack, besides Marinette, it wouldn’t be that hard to put two and two together. Her identity would be known, and no offense to Alya, but she wasn’t the most secretive person.

But, of course, the young woman, now man, simply sat in their usual spot and went about the day as if nothing at all had gone wrong.

His friends weren’t much more of a help. They went on jabbering like it was nothing, Alya occasionally poking and prodding questions at the less than languid Marinette on how it felt, what it was like, and more specifically, what being a guy was like.

Honestly, if she wanted that answer she could just ask one of her actual guy friends.

At least he’d had to avoid the discomfort of trying to figure out what pronoun to call her by. She still preferred female pronouns, and would love it if her classmates not treat her any differently, despite the fact that she was, indeed, now a man.

Adrien had to admit that it was a sort of strange deja vu as well. Everything she did was normal, but somehow, was more...magnified? He couldn’t really explain it.

The blush on her cheeks suddenly shone out more red than ever. Her voice, at the slightest change, seemed to catch his ear more readily. The way her now muscular arms reached out to scoop up her supplies had never caught his eye before, but now he couldn’t help his staring.

And as she chatted with Alya about their plans to a see a movie that night, he couldn’t stop himself from wishing he was going as well. 

What was this? Why did he feel this way? He couldn’t wrap his brain around the way he was reacting to all of this. His knees were bouncing as he sat, hands clutching his pencil so tight it snapped the first time she tripped. His palms were sweating and his entire body felt so taut that he would shatter if anyone touched him.

That’s why he was surprised only to flinch when Nino leaned over and gently elbowed him in the ribs. His eyes shot to his best friend as his breath caught in his throat. He could see her out of the corner of his eye, and he couldn’t really ignore the way it made his heart stutter in his ribs.

He put on the best smile he could (thank god for modeling). “Y-yes?”

Nino looked genuinely concerned for a moment. “Woah, dude, are you okay?”

Adrien tried to swallow down his anxiety, taking a silent, deep breath. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just thinking about this afternoon’s schedule.” Which was utterly free, for once. “What’s up?”

Nino seemed to study his best friend for a moment before shrugging. Adrien hoped he didn’t see the way his shoulder tightened at Marinette’s masculine laugh. “Well, the girls wanted to go and see a movie tonight, and were wondering if you’d want to come along? You up for it bro?”

He knew he shouldn’t look. He knew it would be the death of him. He wanted nothing more than to transform right after school and go looking for that Akuma. He couldn’t have this awkwardness going on for the rest of the week.

And yet, he couldn’t help the way his eyes drew their line of sight over to the raven haired teen behind him. She’d been staring at him, and he saw more prominently than ever when her cheeks went alight and she looked away.

He felt a warm familiarity in his chest, and sort of mournful empathy for the young girl, uh, man...it’s still kind of confusing. If only she knew the way she was making his heart race at the sight of her big blue eyes, regardless if they were now in a young man’s face.

He swallowed down his resignation. He needed to get used to the fact that Marinette and Lady were the same person. He figured if he got used to this strangeness first the rest would be a walk in the park.

At least, that’s how he tried to convince himself his decision was the right one.

But no matter how much he looked at her, or how much he tried to convince himself, he just couldn’t bring his mind to decide it was a good idea. He sighed, thinking about how he would love to go to a movie, but so long as Marinette was having this affect on him he wouldn’t be able to cope with her around.

He looked at Alya and Nino, both of whom were waiting eagerly for his answer.

He made a mental note to kill his mutinous heart, the one thing he knew could override his mind, and always seemed to do so whenever his Lady was around.

“Sure. I’ll come.”

  


Adrien was only ten steps into his room before he dropped his bag and face planted into his bed. He groaned and brought a fist up to repeatedly hit himself on the back of the head. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.” He said with each hit.

Why had he said yes? Why did he say he’d go? What was wrong with him? He couldn’t go out with his friends, not while Marinette was in her current state.

He couldn’t handle it, and he didn’t know why.

He stopped the vicious cycle of hitting and groaning by rolling over, his eyes staring up at the bottom of his balcony.

If he was going to function tonight, he’d have to find out why he was being so weird and fix it; for both his and Marinette’s sakes.

He searched his mind, trying to think if anything about her had changed beyond her appearance.

The fact that Ladybug and her were now the same person was one thing that screamed out at him. She was the superheroine that he’d fallen in love with, and the girl that had utterly had him running after her for years. She was his first, and probably his last if his heart didn’t stop beating so fast.

He let out another groan, covering his eyes with an arm, trying to block out the thoughts. The back of his eyelids only served as a sort of projector, thoughts of his Lady in her suit shining brightly behind his eyes; visions of Marinette with her awkward and yet so cute smile. He smiled at the thought of the same young woman leaping around the rooftops with him, her stumbling occasionally around him and giggling uncontrollably.

Then he saw her today, her lean and yet toned arms stretching out to encompass and draw in her designing supplies. He saw the way her medium-length hair swept across her forehead, leading to the elegantly curved eyebrows, just the same as before. He saw the strong, yet elegantly thin jaw and the broader shoulders.

He shot up, his arm coming away from his eyes, going instead to his chest, fisting in the black material. His heart was pounding, so loud he swore it would soon bust its way from his rib cage. He looked down as if the answers as to why would be scrawled across him. Of course, they weren’t.

His eyes scanned the room as he got up and started pacing. He needed to think, needed to get his head clear.

“What’s the matter with you?” The blonde heard from over his shoulder.

He couldn’t help the growl-like groan that crept from his throat. “You are not gonna help, Plagg.”

The cat kwami came flying up. “Whoa, why are you so red? Are you okay?”

Adrien shook his head. “I don’t get it. I just don’t understand.”

“What don’t you understand?” The cat implored as his chosen took another lap around the room.

He was ringing his hands before him, and running his hands through his hair. “I can’t understand how Marinette can just get to me like this. I mean, yes, now that’s she’s both Ladybug and her I guess that would have some effect, but it’s never been anything like this. And why does picturing her in my head make my heart race and me like—like _this?!_ ”

As if fate wanted to make a point he tripped on the foot of his couch and fell flat on his floor, huffing as his hair fell before his face. He was flustered, short of breath, and his mind was racing. He just couldn’t understand.

Plagg came floating down in front of the young teen. “Let me get this straight. You’re freaking out because you’re realizing that you’re in love with the girl of your dreams?”

Adrien shook his head. “No. I’m freaking out because I’m not picturing her right now. I’m picturing him.”

Plagg looked utterly lost. “Him?”

“Yes!” It came out as an anguished wail, one too loud for his mannerful mind to let him get away with.

He clapped his mouth shut and bolted up into a kneeling position, waiting for Natalie to come through his door to give him another lesson on being seen and not heard.

It never came, and it was almost a breath of relief, if not for the rolling torrent still boiling in his mind.

The little black cat that was his companion came up, perching on his shoulder. “What do you mean, ‘him’? Who is this boy?”

“ _Marinette._ ” The blond hissed out the name, clamping his hands to the sides of his head. “Marinette is him. I don’t understand, Plagg. I try and think about her like normal and I feel the same, maybe a little more affectionate if anything. But when I think about her today, when she’s a _guy_ I-I just-I can’t—”

He stopped, trying to breathe as his heart kicked back up. Plagg seemed to notice the new change and flew to observe the young man’s panic. One thing was definitely notable: his dilated pupils.

“Adrien, can I ask you something?” The little cat let out, his voice cautious.

The teen’s green eyes locked with the small cat, an unusual haziness about the look. “Uh, yeah. Go ahead.”

The kwami took a moment, trying to word the question correctly before speaking. “Have you,” he started slowly, being careful how he put this, “ever _felt_ anything towards other men before?”

The confusion that crossed Adrien’s face was unmistakable. “What?”

Plagg flinched. “You know. Have you ever, found another man...attractive?”

There was a pause as the two stared at each other. Plagg saw something flicker behind the teen’s green eyes, something intense and frightening. The way he swallowed thickly didn’t go unnoticed either by the magic companion and Plagg knew he had somehow overstepped a line he didn’t know existed.

He waited, watching the young man’s chest rise and fall slowly going back down to a normal (or close to) pace.

Finally, Adrien spoke, “Plagg, you do realize that I work with models from all around the world. Most of them have been deemed the most attractive people on the planet. How would I not find some of them attractive?”

The little cat knew the cold neutrality to Adrien’s voice wasn’t intentional, but it still made him flinch. “I know that. Just, be honest with me. Have you ever looked at any boy or man differently? Or maybe had a crush?”

The teen’s face turned steely as he rose to his feet. “No, Plagg. I’ve never felt anything for any man. I’m an Agreste. We don’t—” his voice cracked, betraying him as he moved to grab his wallet. He cleared his throat as went to open one of his windows.

“I’m an Agreste. We don’t fall for men. Marinette is my one true love, and I’ll just have to wait until she’s back to normal. Now, come on, we’re going to be late if we don’t transform now.”

Plagg didn’t move. He knew his chosen well enough by no to be able to tell when something is wrong. And he definitely hit a nerve. But what was it?

He waited until a disgruntled huff came from the teen. It was pretty obvious he wasn’t going to get an answer tonight, at least not now. Regretfully, he allowed himself to become one with the teen’s ring, and form the persona they both loved so much.

  


As Adrien shed his transformation he was forced to remember just how cold the night was, and just how dark it had gotten. Luckily, he’d remembered to grab a coat and now draped the garment around his shoulders as he looked up into the starry sky.

Winter was upon Paris and a chill had started in the air, assisting in drawing couples closer in an attempt to stay warm. The sun had taken his bow for the day, sinking below the horizon and allowing the City of Lights to fulfill its namesake. Even from here Adrien could see the glow of the city and the Eiffel tower, and the romantic atmosphere it set upon the city.

It would have been beautiful, if not for the roiling terror it set deep in his stomach. As Plagg climbed into his inner jacket pocket he couldn’t help his mind from wandering to the questions shared between them earlier.

Adrien hadn’t really thought about it before, but now he looked back on his memory, scouring for anything that would suggest a crush or any feelings towards any man he’d known before.

Admittedly, Adrien had always been more drawn to the male models at work; taking longer in the dressing room and prep area to admire their figures and their impressive stares. But he’d always thought it was because of some deep rooted jealousy, or some need to be better than them to impress his father.

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

He was drawing from his thoughts suddenly as his phone vibrated in his pocket. He jumped, diving into his pocket to retrieve the device. It was a text from Nino, asking if he would be there soon, or if he’d even gotten away.

He sighed, knowing he could no longer prolong the inevitable. He’d have to face his friends tonight. He’d have to face her.

He took a deep breath.

He plastered a smile on his face.

He rounded the corner.

And, he forgot how to breathe.

Before him stood his friends and one dashing looking young man. Marinette stood next to Nino, Alya before her ranting about something. Marinette looked uncomfortable, and for more reasons than one.

She stood in a pair of blue jeans, ripped at the knees and ratty in some other spots. Her shirt was a dark blue button-up with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows and the first few buttons undone. Her collarbone showed, along with just a peek at a very toned chest. Simple black hightops clad her feet, and the disheveled look of the old shoes matched that of her hair.

Her outfit was anything but warm, and he wondered why she wore it until he saw the grin take over Alya’s face at the no doubt bewildered look on Adrien’s face. He came walking up, and Alya stopped in her rant, Marinette tensing as her friend instead sounded a welcome to their newest arrival.

“Took you long enough,” Alya said with a smirk, looking over the flustered blond.

He was trying to avoid looking at the young man beside him, but it was hard to ignore how Marinette was now shaking from the cold, her hands come up to cup her elbows.

Nino came to stand next to Alya, facing the other two. That’s when Alya’s eyes grew wide in disbelief and Nino’s jaw virtually dropped. Adrien didn’t know what they were gawking at until he looked over and saw a pair of bright blue eyes staring up into his.

Heat crept up his neck and cheeks as Adrien realized what he was doing. Without thinking, he’d pulled his coat from his shoulders, and had draped it around Marinette’s.

He watched in shock as a blush started, up high on her cheekbones, then spread across to encompass even the tips of her ears. She sucked her lower lip between her teeth, gently biting the soft skin. Adrien couldn’t help himself from watching the movement.

_Why do I want to—_

His thought was cut off by a cleared throat and a shuffled step. He pried his eyes away from the young teen before him to look at his other two friends. Alya stood with a smirk on her lips and her hands on her hips, while Nino was rubbing the back of his neck and trying to avoid eye contact.

Adrien realized his hands were still lingering on Marinette’s shoulders and he quickly retreated, a fiery blush overtaking his cheeks. “S-sorry.” He murmured as he shuffled a little away from the now blushing Marinette.

“D-don’t worry about it.” She whispered, her voice pitching lower than either of them expected.

Nino smiled and chuckled. “Adrien Agreste, a gentleman by nature,” he threw his arm around his friend’s shoulders and started guiding him towards the ticket booth at the front of the theater. “Come on, man. Let’s go get those tickets.”

After they were out of earshot of the girls Adrien let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding in. “Thanks for the save.”

Nino shrugged as he slipped the attendant a twenty. “You helped me out when I was nervous with Mari, so I guess it’s only fair I do the same.”

Adrien took a moment to breathe, looking up into the night sky. There weren’t any stars; there never were. The lights from the city made it impossible to see them, but that didn’t keep Adrien from looking. He wanted to wish on one of them.

He wanted to wish to make it through tonight and come out with his mind settled.

“Whoa, dude, are you okay?” Nino asked after a second, clapping a hand between Adrien’s shoulder blades.

Adrien’s shocked out of his search, having to shake his head to get his bearings. “Y-yeah, just thinking.”

Nino gave him a look that says he wasn’t buying it. “You’ve been spacing out a lot lately, and have been really stiff. Is everything alright? Something going on with your dad?”

Adrien wondered if something was wrong, his eyes wandering over to where their other accompanying friends stood.

Marinette had a soft blush playing over her cheeks as she pulled his jacket closer around her broadened shoulders and chatted excitedly with Alya in hushed voices. She glanced at him occasionally, and he loved each time his eyes caught hers.

Adrien shook his head, finally offering his best friend a warm smile. “Nah, man. It’s not like that. I’ve just been thinking about some stuff.”

Nino smirked, quirking an eyebrow. “That ‘stuff’ wouldn’t happen to be here tonight, would it?”

Adrien sputtered, snatching away his ticket as he took off towards the two (ahem, one and a half) girls. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Nino jogged to catch up, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. “Is it Mari?”

Adrien stopped, fixing his friend with what he hoped was a sobering stare. “Marinette is not ‘stuff’.”

_She’s so much more,_ he didn’t bother adding in.

He then turned and started back towards the girls, hoping to maybe make it to this time. Nino followed behind with a small chuckle. “Fine by me man.”

When they rejoined the girls and entered the theater Adrien noticed Nino trying to very nonchalantly whisper something in Alya’s ear. It would have been unimportant--his friend had long ago mastered the ‘sweet nothings’ game--if not for the devilish shine that came to life in his girlfriend’s eyes. Nerves caused Adrien’s stomach to clench as he paid for the snacks, Marinette right on his tale and eager to help carry any of them.

He handed her a soda to carry and quickly recoiled when their fingers slid together on the styrofoam surface. He tried hard to suppress the blush that was creeping up his collar again.

Before he knew it, the power couple was there, ushering everyone towards the theater their movie was showing in, claiming they had to get the best seats possible. Adrien was suspicious of what they were playing at but got distracted when he had to hand over his ticket with his arms already full of snacks.

Finally, one awkward encounter with an attendant later, they were shuffling their way through the theater looking for seats. Back towards the top rows Marinette spied some seats but based on the sour look that took over her face they wouldn’t have been her first choice.

Adrien followed her gaze when he heard Alya gasp behind him and start whispering with Nino again. There were four seats in the back, two side by side in one row, and two directly behind those.

 _Oh, no,_ he thought as he realized just what his friends had been planning.

“I don’t know you guys, they seem kind of--”

“Perfect!” He was cut short by a swift shove in the back as Marinette was crammed up the stairs behind him towards the seats.

He nearly tripped over his own feet as his stumbled into one of the seats in the lower row, the snacks nearly cascading from his arms. He waited, fully expecting Nino to slide into the seat next to his, but when his friend didn’t materialize he looked up.

Marinette stood looking between the seat and Alya sitting directly behind it, a fleeting plea in her eye. Alya latched onto Nino’s arm as Adrien shot the boy a desperate look of his own.

It was obvious the couple wasn’t moving.

With a collective sigh from both parties, Marinette stiffly took the seat next to Adrien, her hands falling awkwardly in her lap as she seemed to try and look anywhere but at him.

Adrien didn’t take the action as anything special, he was used to it from her by now, and started handing out snacks instead. The lights dimmed and the teens were plunged into darkness as previews started playing. Adrien thanked the darkness for hiding his blush and his anxiety. Then he slowly settled in, his elbow just coming up to perch on the armrest separating him from the girl--boy--next to him.

He was just getting comfortable during the first trailer when she slipped her elbow up onto the rest along with him, apparently not noticing his already being there. There was still about two centimeters of space between their arms, but it was close enough to make Adrien tense and look back at the maliciously grinning couple behind him.

He sunk down in his seat, knowing he couldn’t pull his arm away without it looking like an insult to Marinette. So, he resigned himself to suffer with the proximity.

This was going to be a long movie.

  


Two hours. Two maddening hours later is when the movie finally came to a close and the occupants of the theater were able to spill out into the lobby. It was well past ten o’clock and Adrien knew he had very little chance of not having been discovered missing by now, but that was the furthest thing from his mind.

Marinette was all he could think about as he threw away his empty cup and half-eaten candy bar. The way she moved with and laughed with the movie filled his mind as they made their way to the main entrance. Her tears at the hero’s death made his heart swell as they said goodbye to Nino and Alya and watched their cab pull away.

He wanted nothing more than to see more of her, but the moment she held out his jacket was the moment he realized his night was over. 

He was looking at the outstretched arm, its strong fingers grasping his jacket, but he wasn’t really seeing it. He was hearing her thanks for the garment, but he wasn’t really listening.

No, he was too busy looking at the blush on her cheeks, and at the way her shirt was moving over her new chest. It stretched taught in a way that couldn’t feel comfortable. And that’s when he realized that she must not own clothes that fit her new body well.

He cursed himself once more for agreeing to come to this movie instead of going out as Chat Noir a hunting down that wretched Akuma. But seeing Marinette laughing and having fun was almost enough to dull the guilt in his stomach.

“How far do you live from here?” He found himself suddenly asking.

Marinette gave him a slightly odd look before seeming to think about it. “About a kilometer. Not that far really.”

Adrien wondered what her look was about before he realized why she’d looked at him weirdly. _You’ve been to her house before, dumbass. You know where she lives._ He chided himself.

He still put on a small smile and inclined his head to her outstretched hand. “Well, it’s still cold out and I already have a jacket on. So, why don’t you just keep that one?”

If her eyes had grown any bigger Adrien would have sworn they were stars. “W-what? Really?”

He shrugged, smiling. “Yeah. I mean, you probably don’t have a lot of clothing that fits right now, right? So, you’re gonna need a jacket, and I don’t really need it so…”

He’s aware he’s rambling so he stopped himself as she slipped it back on. It fit her perfectly and he couldn’t have been happier. She gave him a shy smile and he felt his chest warming up again.

Then the awkward silence ensued and Adrien honestly couldn’t find anything to say. He thought of leaving but knew that’s not a proper way of sending things off.

Thankfully, she broke the silence for him. “Thank you, Adrien.”

He shrugged again. “It’s just a jacket.”

Then he noticed Marinette shaking her head. “I don’t mean for the jacket. Thanks for coming tonight. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you to get permission.”

_Or sneak out,_ he thought but kept to himself. “No problem. I had a really good time.”

That brought a genuine smile to her face and it made something in Adrien’s chest move. “That’s great. Well, I’m gonna go before my parents get too worried. I’ll, uh, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“See you.” He said.

She gave him an awkward wave before turning to walk away.

He turned and walked his own direction, spinning to run to the back of the theater after he was sure she couldn’t see him anymore.

He had to lean against the wall to catch his breath as his mind spun. His hands fisted in his shirt and his hair as he thought about Marinette and her smile. Her perfect smile. Her perfect, _masculine_ smile. Something jumped in his heart again and he knew the truth.

He’s screwed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have some fun planned for the next chapter. ٩(^ᴗ^)۶


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette needs some new clothes. Adrien's the son of a fashion designer. Do the math ;)

“It’s actually kind of fun.” Marinette was saying, her voice no longer pitching in ways that made everyone laugh. “I’m a lot stronger, and I guess guys are just naturally less clumsy cause I haven’t dropped anything since it happened.”

Alya and her had been chatting about how she was adjusting for the past ten minutes, and it was starting to wear Adrien’s nerves thin. 

Don’t get him wrong, he liked that she was feeling better in her new body, he just hated that she had to get used to it.

Last night he’d tossed and turned, trying to think of something he could do. But there was nothing. He can’t go out and look for the Akuma, he’d tried that with a few before. They just had to wait until it reappeared, no matter how long that would take.

But now it was really starting to grind on him. He wanted to act on his feelings, but with Marinette, like she was he couldn't go near her. It was almost comparable to torture.

He knew it was her. He knew his Ladybug was right behind him. He knew she was the one scribbling down notes, and the one that was constantly sneaking glances at him. He knew she was the one that liked him back and was always nervous around him.

He knew she was now the same young man that made his heart beat fast each time their hands accidentally touched. He knew he was the one that made her breath catch in her throat each time he laughed at one of her jokes. He knew she wasn’t the only one that blushed each time Alya or Nino shot the two a questioning look.

But he couldn’t do anything about it, and it was slowly killing him. He chose to lower his head down onto his desk, covering his eyes with his arms. He just wanted to listen. He didn’t want to see her, he didn’t want to think about her. Maybe her unfamiliar male voice would help.

“It is a little weird having no clothes, though.” She said, and he could hear her shift. No doubt her eyes were tracing his slumped figure. “My mom and dad are taking me to the thrift store to go shopping tomorrow. Hopefully, after that, I’ll have some stuff that fits better.”

Just listening was a bad idea. Suddenly, Adrien found himself spinning, words spilling out of him before he could stop them and he didn’t even know what he said.

Marinette’s blue eyes snapped up to meet his, the fear in them made his gut twist. What had he just said?

Even Alya was gawking. “Wait, what?”

Adrien swallowed thickly, hoping he could get the same words out again.

“My father was just about to throw out last season’s line. You can come by my house this afternoon and pick some up if you want. I’m pretty sure it’ll fit you since you and I are the same size…”

His voice died in this throat at the looks of his classmates. Had he said something wrong? Is that why there was a horror in Alya’s eyes, a disbelief in Nino’s slack-jawed gape, a terrified glean to Marinette’s look? He didn’t know. And now he could feel his palms sweating; his stomach twisting into a knot at the thought of somehow having offended his friends.

He shook his head. “Nevermind that was a dumb idea. Sorry for suggesting it.”

He was about to turn around before a slender hand shot out to grasp his shoulder. It was Alya. The brunette had launched herself across the table to grab his shoulder, and now lay draped across the wood with her fingers digging into his skin.

He winced at the pain she was causing but turned back. “What?”

“It wasn’t a dumb idea!” She nearly shouted, drawing the attention of Kim behind them. “It’s just...will your dad be okay with it?”

“Yeah, dude,” Nino chimed. “I mean, you’re old man didn’t even want me near you. How do you know he’ll be alright with Marinette coming over and getting some free merch?”

Adrien shrugged, looking over the now scarlet Marinette. “Well, she looks enough like a model. I could pawn her off as one of my assistant’s sons and say that she’s a big fan of our line. Father should let her have something, maybe some pants and a couple of shirts.”

He looked back at Marinette and noticed for the first time that she wasn’t breathing. His brow creased as he turned to address her directly, causing the young woman to jump. “Are you okay?”

She seemed to realize that she wasn’t breathing and let out a choked gasp when she tried to talk. If not for his own heart racing Adrien would have found the noise funny. She took a minute to compose herself before looking back at him, still red and looking all too tightly wound.

“I-I’d love it! I mean to! T-th-thank you, Adrien.” She chirped nervously.

Adrien waved it off, surprised by how easily he could keep down the heat in his cheeks. “It’s nothing.”

He turned around, his heart racing as Nino gave him an agreeable look, followed with a thumbs up. He offered his friend a smile before turning back to the lesson.

His heart was racing, his hands were shaking slightly and his palms were sweaty. He pressed them down to the cool surface of his desk in hopes to cool the torrent of blood rushing under his skin.

Why had he said that? Of course his father wouldn’t be okay with this. Why had he even offered? Sure, they were throwing out last season’s line of summer clothes, but he doubted Marinette would be to enter his house, let alone take some Agreste label clothes without paying full price. He knew his father wouldn’t approve, and yet he’d offered.

Maybe he could sneak her in? Maybe he could pull off the lie that she was an assistant's son? Without any luck his father would be gone--he’d heard something about a meeting this morning--and Adrien would only have to worry about convincing Nathalie not to rat him out.

Of course, she probably would, and then he’d be dead meat.

He’d just have to wait. He’d have to hope, and pray that he would be alive tomorrow, or at least allowed to come back to school.

But the look on Marinette’s face, and the little smile she’d given him. He smiled warmly at the thought of her little giggles behind him. It made him feel good to make her happy, even if it might not happen after all. He sighed, taking his hands off the table as his fingers came back down to a normal temperature.

He knew it was greedy, but he wanted her to be happy, even if it was just for a little while. He wanted to make her happy, and he hoped he’d be able to.

  


“And this is?” Nathalie’s stone eyes scrutinized Marinette like a smeared bug on her front windshield.

Suddenly, Adrien felt much less confident in his lie. “This is a friend of mine, Marin. He’s a son for one of the makeup artists. I was going to take him to the house to try on some of the old line stuff that Father was going to throw away.”

His throat felt all too dry when Nathalie’s unforgiving eyes turned on him. “This is the akumatized teen you were muttering about last night, isn’t it?”

He saw the flinch from Marinette that came from the word ‘it’ and he felt an anger start to rise in his core. Marinette was not an ‘it’.

“Perhaps.” Adrien said, snapping his eyes momentarily to the young man next to him. God, she looked nervous.

Nathalie let her cruel eyes crawl over them a moment longer before a sort of kind understanding touched the wrinkles in the corners. She nodded curtly and turned back to the car. “It’s going to rain later tonight. Will you be needing a ride home?”

Marinette sounded like she choked on her own breath as she let out a stifled, “N-no, miss.”

Nathalie nodded again, entering the passenger seat. Adrien didn’t know what to do, or what he felt. Surprise was certainly something he couldn’t ignore, but the elation flowing through his veins made him want to jump for joy, hooting, and hollering.

Instead, his body went into autopilot and opened the door for Marinette. She slid into the car and shuffled over to the other seat, and he couldn’t help the stupid grin that spread across his face as he closed the door and her bag plopped down onto the floor between them.

The gorilla glanced at them through the rearview mirror, giving the mysterious young man only a second’s regard before pulling the car away from the curb and starting towards the Agreste house.

Adrien was virtually vibrating with joy as his eyes roved over the passing people, trees, buildings, everything! He’d successfully gotten Nathalie to take Marinette to his home, and he was fairly certain she wouldn’t go straight to his father with the news of their guest. Nathalie was always like an older sister in that regard, letting him get away with some things but not others.

He could basically _feel_ the joy and excitement rolling off the teen next to him too. He could see the small smile on her lips and the blush high up on her cheeks. She sat stiffly, but not in a nervous sort of way. It made his heart jump and his chest feels warm at the prospect of her being so happy.

They arrived at his home and the two were ushered inside, matching grins never leaving their faces.

When inside, surprisingly Nathalie left, allowing them to be alone.

“The old line is in the dining room, the boxes are on the table. Stay away from the muscle shirts and the swimwear. Don’t stay too long, you are not invited to dinner.” Was the only send off Nathalie had for the teens as she disappeared into his father’s study.

Adrien was so giddy he nearly missed the awe-struck on Marinette’s face. She was gawking at his house, at the designs, at the windows, and at him. He didn’t miss it when her eyes dragged over him in a slow arch, then quickly shot to a statue in the corner when he turned to her.

“This is your home?” She asked, her bag unceremoniously landing on the floor.

Adrien smiled. “Yeah, it is.”

The silence was awkward, to say the least. Luckily, it was broken by Marinette happening to wander into the dining room, seeing the boxes of clothes.

“I can’t believe I’m going to have a full wardrobe of Agreste clothes.” She gushed as she read the labels on the side of a box.

Adrien smiled, watching her arms flex as she tore through the tape to reveal the button ups within. “Welcome to the world of designer clothing. Choose what you’d like then we’ll go up to my room so you can try them on.”

The blush that erupted in her face shocked Adrien. Why was she embarrassed? “Hey, are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah! Yep! I’m fine!” She sputtered with a trail of laughter as she spun away from his hand. Then she seemed to settle back down, her hands coming back to riffle through the shirts. “I just hadn’t realized I’d have to change here.”

It came out barely louder than a whisper, but it still came as a punch to the gut. Adrien scanned the teen before him, once again having to remind himself that there was a young woman under that strong masculine exterior. Of course, she’d be uncomfortable changing around him.

He suddenly realized just how close he was, and after clearing his throat moved around the corner of the table to put a little more space between them. He could see the little tremor in her fingers while she held up a shirt, bright blue with white dots.

Adrien cleared his throat again, trying to do the same to his mind. “You know, I won’t look if you don’t want me to. You can change in the bathroom, just to make sure they fit. Or, I can even sit in the bathroom while you use my room. No, that’s dumb. I can stay down here if you want.”

It took a moment after she froze for her head to slowly turn from side to side. “No. I’d rather you stay with m-me. I’ll-I’ll change in the bathroom, then come out to show you. I mean, I might as well get some advice from a model, right?”

The chuckle that came from her throat was more hysteric than reassuring and Adrien suddenly felt very sorry for the young woman. He had to do something.

“You know,” he started as he tore open a box of jeans. “I know this is hard for you and all, but you don’t have to be embarrassed about it. I’m sorry that it happened to you in the first place, let alone last this long. I--”

He stopped himself before he confessed his regret. He couldn’t let Marinette know he was Chat Noir. He couldn’t tell her how sorry he was, or how he wished he could go out hunting down that villain all night long.

“I’ll be here for you.” He finally got out, the clenching in his chest making it hard to form a coherent sentence. “If you need anything, or need to talk about anything, I’ll be here.”

That brought a mixture of emotions to the young woman’s face. Her features went from shock to sadness, to pensive, then finally to happy resolve. She nodded, a small smile spreading her lips. “Thank you, Adrien.”

He felt the blush coming back to his cheeks, so he smiled and turned his face down towards the pants before him. “So, um, what size are you?”

  


It was maybe half an hour later before they finally made their way up to his room, each teen toting with them arm fulls of clothing. Adrien had to admit, Marinette had good style choices, he figured it had something to do with her want, and interest in designing clothes.

Still, he couldn’t ignore the fact that she was going to look stunning in these.

When they got up to his room they dumped the garments onto his bed and started sorting them into the piles she’d had them in earlier. They worked fast, and well together.

He didn’t know how to explain it at first, but they both moved in such sync that it was almost like they’d rehearsed the act. And it took him until their hands brushed to realize just why they worked so well together. This was his Ladybug; she was right here. They’d been partners for years now, and he knew exactly how she moved, worked, and acted.

He knew her.

It only made sense they’d work so well together even when out of costume.

Suddenly he had to stop himself from reaching out and touching her again. He wanted to run his hand through her hair, over her arms, or even just touch her hand again. Even if she was a guy now, he wanted so badly for that to happen.

But he didn’t move, he only watched as she sheepishly picked up one of the piles and scampered away into his bathroom. He watched her go, and felt a small ping in his chest when the door quietly clicked shut.

He flopped back onto his bed as soon as the door was closed, huffing out an exasperated breath. His chest was tight feeling, and his heart was beating too fast again. He loved yet hated that she had this kind of an effect on him.

Still, he’d suffer through worse if it meant his Lady was happy and safe.

He heard someone clear their throat and sat up to look at Marinette standing before him.

She now wore a white T-shirt with a black jacket, much like his own, pulled over the top. Her pink jeans were replaced by simple blue ones that hung loosely around her legs but fit her hips perfectly. He smiled at the way the white T-shirt fit over her now flat chest perfectly, and even showed off the toned abdomen she apparently had been hiding.

“Um, wh-what d-do you think?” She stuttered, grabbing her left elbow out of nervous habit.

Adrien realized he was grinning like an idiot and took only a moment to compose himself. “I think it looks great! Are you-uh-comfortable it in?”

She glanced up at him, through her still thick eyelashes, and it made his heart skip. “Actually, I do. Do-do you mind if I try on the rest?”

Adrien gave her a small smile. “Not at all. You can try on as many outfits as you’d like.”

She flushed and smiled softly before grabbing a pile and dodging back into the bathroom, no doubt riffling through the next outfit.

Adrien leaned back, glancing up at his ceiling and taking in a few lungs worth of air before looking back towards the closed door. This was going to be a long, and worth it afternoon.

  


Three hours later Adrien laid back on his bed as Marinette disappeared again. He didn’t know how much more of this he could take, honestly. He was about ready to combust, or shout, or just grab her and kiss her by now, and all of the dashing outfits she’d chosen weren’t helping.

He couldn’t decide which one had killed him the most. The white button up with dress pants and a navy blue pinstriped vest, or the T-shirt that read, “Will work, amour” in curling letters. The pun had been enough to make him snicker, but he had been silenced by the way the shirt had stretched over her chest, and shown off her arms and stomach.

Oh, today was dragging on into what seemed like a torturous trick played on himself.

But, oh, what _sweet_ torture it was. 

Still, he didn’t know how much more he could take. He’d gone numb to everything besides her a few hours ago, and now he knew it might be too much for him.

He was still glad, don’t get him wrong. But it seemed like their roles had somehow swapped in the time span of her being there.

The more Marinette was around him, the more comfortable and the more confident she seemed to get around him, taking less time to change and more time out and cracking jokes. She’d nearly made him faint at her skill with puns and when she started coming up with witty remarks, oh, he’d been over the hills with joy.

But now he sat, nervous and stuttering at how beautiful and stunning she was in everything she wore. Actually, beautiful was the wrong word. She was now handsome, and one of the most handsome young men he’d ever had the honor of laying his eyes on.

The thought of her made him sit up and look towards the bathroom, hoping so much that she’d come out in the final outfit so this afternoon could end. As much as he never wanted it to end, he doubted he’d ever get out of this with his sanity intact.

He got up slowly, and started towards the bathroom when it was taking her longer than usual to get ready.

He stopped just short of the door, realizing it was open part way.

A part of him scolded his terrible mind and told him to go sit back down on his bed and wait like the good boy he was.

The other part was screaming at him to peek inside, wanting so badly to see what she looked like out of those designer clothes and perfect outfits.

He knew he shouldn’t, but in the end his curiosity and want got the better of him.

He glanced inside, looking for Marinette among the piles of clothes that were scattered across the floor.

She was standing at the other end of the bathroom, over by the opening of the shower. She was just buttoning up her pants and looking at them in the mirror to see if they fit her well. The thing that made Adrien freeze and have all the blood rush to his face was the fact that she stood completely shirtless.

Her chest was broad, with her pecs just barely being outlined by their toned muscles. Her stomach was decorated with a light six pack--nothing like bodybuilders but still breathtakingly noticeable.

Adrien couldn’t stop himself from staring as she bent down to pick up another shirt, her pants slipping down just a little to show off the V that cut into her lower abdomen.

_Oh, oh no,_ he thought as she frowned down at the pants, hooking a thumb into the waistband to pull them up. _I should not be watching this. She might catch me._

He didn’t have to debate with himself long, as he was drawn away for a completely unexpected reason. He suddenly felt something warm and wet running down his face to meet his upper lip. He frowned and out of instinct stuck out his tongue to catch the drop.

He found an oddly salty and yet coppery taste running along his tongue. It took him a second, but after he reached up to touch his face, he realized just what is was.

Blood.

He’d gotten a bloody nose from staring at her.

_Oh, shit._ He thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose and ran for the tissue box next to his bed. He quickly tried to clean himself up, shoving some cotton up his nose and using the rest to mop up the blood that had trailed down his face.

_You knew that was a bad idea,_ he scolded himself. _Now how am I supposed to explain this away?_

He didn’t have time to even begin formulating an excuse as Marinette came stepping out of the bathroom, her arms triumphantly bent with her hands on her hips.

“Sooooo, what do you think?” She asked, the daring edge in her voice making him freeze.

Adrien swallowed down what was left of his pride and turned to look at her. She was dressed simply enough, jeans and a band T-shirt that he’d never heard of. Where she’d found the shirt he didn’t even know, but he was more focused on the look of shock that overtook her face.

“Whoa, um, are you okay?” She asked.

The question seemed to finally spur Adrien out of his haze, forcing him to stand and press a tissue to his nose. “Um, yeah. Just got a bloody nose. Nothing to worry about.”

Marinette cocked an eyebrow at him, looking more questioning than believing. “You just randomly got a bloody nose?”

Adrien swallowed, his mind racing for an answer he couldn’t seem to find. Either it was luck or misfortune that made him speak, but his mouth was moving before his mind had any say in its work.

“To be honest,” came pouring out like water from an open tap, “I was a little overwhelmed by how good you look, and well, yeah…”

He trailed off, his mouth going suddenly dry as his palms burst into a sweating fit.

Marinette seemed to take a moment to process his words, but as soon as they sank in, she turned the color of ketchup and was right back to the Marinette he knew and loved so much.

“I-I-uh-um-th-thank you!” She quickly squeaked out.

The awkward silence that ensued was hard to handle. It pressed down on Adrien as if it were trying to suffocate him. He scrambled to find something to say, something to follow that up, but nothing came to mind.

Luckily, the silence only stretched long enough to make him worry. Marinette saved him with something muttered under her breath.

The look in her curious blue eyes told him that it was a question, and he was meant to answer it. “What?”

She found a sudden interest in his splatter paint rug, idly toeing the edge. “A-Are we friends, Adrien?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And, let the angst begin.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien is struggling with his feelings for Marinette and how to understand them. Then, he is introduced to a scary new concept. Sexuality.
> 
> This chapter would not have been made possible without the help and collaboration of Naminamae, a writer on here who is lurking in the comments and in this story. Thank you so much, hun!

Adrien swore if they were doing a shoot based on animals he’d be the perfect candidate to play a dog or cat with how much he was groaning and growling.

He sat forward in his makeup chair, his fingers coming to press into his temples as he contemplated his chances of breaking an ankle while falling off the stage and being kept from ever having to face Marinette. The large light-bulbs bombarding his eyes with their glow weren’t much help for his headache either.

He rubbed circles into the sides of his head to try and relieve his pounding mind and it worked...until his makeup artist nearly keeled over before imitating a pterodactyl running at him with makeup sponges outstretched in claw like nails.

“Don’t ruin my contour!” They (he couldn’t tell their gender) screeched before huffing and knocking his hands forcefully away. His temporary relief was once again robbed from him as they passive-aggressively pounded their blending tools into his face. In their attempt to make him look like anything but himself they only managed to worsen his headache.

As he put his face at the mercy of the professionals around him he couldn’t stop the memories of how he had handled things from going through his head. He watched as they crafted him a new face with nothing more than pigments and brushes.

If only they do could the same with his brain.

_”A-Are we friends, Adrien?”_ Bounced around his head like a released piece of flubber.

He ground his teeth as he remembered his response of a dumbstruck, _”I don’t know what you mean. I thought we always were.”_

Marinette’s face had grown red then, and she’d gone silent. Saying that she should get home before it started raining.

He remembered the moment he helped her lift her boxes of clothing into the cars and closed the door behind her, offering a small and sad wave as a goodbye.

A wave. _A WAVE?_

That was honestly the best he had been able to muster after being slapped in the face by the question and then pummeled by her sudden departure.

He guessed that she didn’t really understand just how much she meant to him since she didn’t know that she was indeed his Lady. But he still didn’t have to make her feel like she might have been the stupid one for not having realized they were friends before.

He sat forward after the eccentric face-paint wielding goonies of the shoot had left, resting his elbows on the vanity before him and his hands on his head; this time in his hair to avoid another makeup mishap. The hairdresser hadn’t been to him so they wouldn’t have him scalped just yet.

All around him he heard the chatter of the models and their artists and how they got along, but he had never really found that kind of a connection in this industry. There wasn’t anyone here to talk to him, to keep him company. Even Plagg had been left in his bag for safety reasons; leaving Adrien completely and utterly alone.

Well, he would have been alone if not for the thoughts that were bombarding him nonstop like the flashing bulbs behind the curtain he would be waving aside in just a moment.

How was he supposed to think with these kinds of stupid scenes bouncing around his head?

Her eyes looking ever so slightly sad and regretful for asking.

The sight of her hands shaking as she had packed up the last of her new outfits, having opted to stay in the band T and jeans.

The way she had blatantly opted to look at her folded hands in her lap as she had stepped into the car instead of at him.

The softly whispered appreciation for the clothes, nothing more.

The way her shoulders had shifted to dig out her phone as the car had started rolling down the street.

Oh, god, how was he supposed to do this?

The worst part was, that he wasn’t being messed up this much due to it being her. No, he was having his mind utterly destroyed by the fact that whenever Marinette had done this as a girl he had just felt sad, but now? He felt his soul being torn from his body and thrown to the seventh circle of hell for offending the young woman.

She was different now. There was no mistaking it. While her outer appearance was only a temporary change, the inner parts--the built up and renewed confidence--was something that he had longed to see in her. And yet, it felt as if he might have ruined that.

Yesterday was the first time in _years_ she had been really able to look him in the eye and was able to really have a conversation with him. Now, he had gone and made her feel different again. Made her feel like she had inadequately judged their relationship for god knows how long

Call time was in ten minutes, but he couldn’t get the thought of her, _him_ , out of his head.

The only thing all day that roused him from his dreary thoughts was a rucas being stirred up a few mirrors down.

One of the older models--still in his early twenties, mind you--was being torn to shreds and accused by a young woman who was pretty enough, but honestly nothing special.

Adrien knew the young man in question by name and nothing more. He didn’t make friends with the other models, he found them too absorbed with their carriers to really be of any good conversation while at a shoot. And he never got a chance to talk to them outside of work so the opportunity for friendships was lost to the work ethic and lack of motivation.

What was this young man’s name? Jaalab or something. He knew that everyone called him JB for short because no one could ever pronounce his name right.

It saddened him for a moment that he didn’t even know his own co workers’ names.

It wasn’t anything new for an old flame to show up to give their ex a piece of their mind. Hence why none of the other models batted an eye as the young woman wrestled her way through security and he allowed her to stay to hear her out.

Adrien was about to throw on his headset that Nino had given him to tune out the noise but was drawn into the conversation not by how everything was being discussed, but by _what_ was being shouted.

“You left me with nothing.” The young woman squawked as JB waved off the last of the security officers.

He looked surprisingly calm for being screamed at by a young woman who looked like she might erupt.

“I didn’t leave you with nothing. You ruined your own career after you tried to use your position at the publishing house to ruin my reputation,” JB said calmly as he touched up his own hair in the mirror before him, his slight accent slipping out. Persian by chance?

The girl looked fit to burst as he went on ignoring her. “What the hell do you expect me to do?! You left me for my ex-boyfriend!”

Adrien went stock still, his eyes shooting sideways to watch JB.

He’d left a _girl_ for a _guy?_

JB cracked a smile and looked at her through the mirror. “Tessa, darling,”--so that was her name--”you were finished with him obviously. I just took advantage of the situation and got into a better relationship. What’s one woman’s trash is another man’s pleasure.”

He’d purred out the last word, making Adrien shiver as he was forced to remember his own persona saying something similar to Ladybug on one regrettable late night.

Tessa faked a gag as tears of anger welled up in her eyes. “You could have at least left me for a girl instead of turning around and becoming a cock-sucker.”

JB merely winked. “Darling, I’ve told you before. I pitch and catch for both teams. Now, if you don’t have anything of substance to say to me beyond your belligerent babbling I will have you escorted from the premises and I’ll be sure to get a restraining order filed at my next convenience. Alright? Okay, buh-bye now.”

He waved her off and she was grabbed by two security guards before she could launch herself at the cool young man. He easily slid from his chair and strode down the aisle towards the clothing portion of the stage.

Profanity followed him as JB made his way towards the catwalk, Adrien’s stare of amazement apparently catching his eye.

When the model stopped before him Adrien sucked in a breath, realizing he had been caught eavesdropping.

He smiled bitterly at the young blond. “Enjoying the show?”

Adrien choked on his own tongue as he tried to form a sentence, or even just a thought in response.

JB waited a moment longer before scoffing and heading towards the stage.

Adrien seemed to regain his wits just as the other model was about to step into wardrobe. “Wait!”

JB stopped in his tracks, spinning on his heels like he was expecting a fight, but seemed surprised to find Adrien stumbling from his chair to catch up with him.

“What?” He asked, his voice just hinting at demanding, but more so curious than anything.

Adrien seemed out of breath, or was it just because his heart was racing?

Why was he nervous to try and talk to this man anyway?

Besides, what was he going to say?

“Did you say earlier that you were dating a guy?” Adrien found himself stuttering out.

What.

The.

Hell.

Alright then, that’s what he was going to say.

Where did that even come from? He didn’t know. But now it was out in the air and by the look on JB’s face, it wasn’t much appreciated just hanging there, waiting to be acknowledged.

Just as Adrien was beginning to fear that he himself would be escorted from the shoot JB sighed and seemed to look very _very_ annoyed.

“What are you gonna call me a name now too?” He asked nearly dejectedly as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

_Shoot,_ Adrien thought as his hands burst out into a sweating fit. His mouth going dry from anxiety he couldn’t express. _I may have overdone it. Abort. Abort. Mission failed._

Adrien quickly tried to stutter out an apology. “What? N-no! I didn’t--I mean--that’s not what--”

He didn’t see as JB’s hand came up to rest weightily on his shoulder, suddenly ceasing his ramblings. “What do you want?” His voice was smooth and his words as articulate as a human could possibly manage.

Adrien found his throat ceasing to work, but his mouth was still working. His voice sounded hoarse and breathy even to himself and his ears didn’t quite process it as the next question formed itself on his tongue; rolling out of the guard of his teeth only half finished into an amalgamation of possibly offensive ideas.

“Wh-what are you? What’s that called? Liking both genders?”

JB looked like he had been punched in the face, honest surprise leaking through the tough demeanor. He studied Adrien for a moment before realization seemed to hit him just as suddenly as the inquisitions had.

“Wait, you’re that Agreste kid, right?”

A nod.

JB brought his hand up to run through his hair as a low whistle escaped his lips. “So, I guess the rumors about your dad being strict are true. And I’m guessing not even close to the real deal?”

Another nod.

Another low whistle and a small laugh this time.

“Do you know what sexuality is?” JB asked after a moment of clearing his throat.

Adrien was a little shocked by the question. He knew it probably wasn’t vulgar in nature, but the matter of “sex” and anything to do with it was always treated as taboo in the Agreste household. So, whenever the word, or anything that sounded like it had come up, he had tried to avoid or even change the subject. Thus, was his upbringing and it was too drilled into his head for him to not follow.

Getting to know what a sextant was an interesting experience, to say the least.

“N-no. Is that something profane?” He nearly squeaked, his voice pitching higher and sounding more innocent than he already felt.

He coughed and attempted to restate the question but his voice just cracked again. He gave up when JB cracked a small smirk at the young man’s struggles

JB looked like had just discovered a newfound gem, or a new joke. He let out a small laugh and shook his head.

“It’s only profane if you think it is. Look, the show is about to start. We can sneak out of the after party tonight to find somewhere else to talk. Okay?”

Adrien nodded, his jaw locking. JB gave him a devilish grin and a wink as he chuckled, turning around and heading over to the costume designers.

Adrien ran his hand through his hair, his head feeling light and buzzing and his lungs seeming to work again as he took a deep breath. At least the headache had ceased for a little while.

What was he doing? He was talking to a model he had never spoken to before, about personal information and an apparently possibly vulgar topic that he shouldn’t even know about.

_Sexuality_. He tossed the term around his head and shuddered. Even the word itself sounded disgusting to his mind.

And yet...intriguing.

Adrien followed the young man with his eyes, watching how he moved and acted so fluid and comfortable in his own skin, even as he stripped just to boxers and was dressed in an outfit by lingering hands.

If he was this comfortable with himself, even after being shouted at about dating a guy…

Maybe...maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

  


_This was a terrible idea._

Adrien found himself suddenly being torn from a conversation with a designer from Mullan by a firm hand encompassing his elbow. He turned on his heels and let his legs pinwheel under him to keep his balance as he was jerked inconsistently through the crowd.

He looked to find the person apparently taking him hostage to be none other than JB. The jerking motion of his tugging being caused by parting people in the crowd and slipping through before they had a chance to seal back together like a bleeding wound.

Adrien was vaguely aware they were being led by a half empty bottle of Rosé but was more worried about the pressure the model was putting on his arm. His grip was intense with his fingers mindlessly digging into Adrien’s bicep and elbow crook to the point of making the bones grind as it bent.

Adrien didn’t see anyone open the venue’s front doors but soon they were stepping through out onto the front balcony overlooking the garden and front drive.

JB didn’t seem as spatially aware as he might have thought as he spun on Adrien, suddenly having the blond press into him as the closing doors at his back forced the two together.

There was a moment of hot breaths mixing and Adrien being tempted to try and toss the man aside Chat-style and make a break for it.

The time for his cat-like strength never came, however. He was saved by JB drunkenly falling forward, laughing, before he backed away in a stumble towards a metal deck chair and table.

Adrien stood horrified as JB craned his neck back over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. I don’t make passes at people more than two years younger than me.”

Adrien grimaced at the thought of being hit on by this man and decided to move away from the door but stay a respectful distance away from the drunk before him.

Well, this wasn’t going as planned, but Adrien could already tell why things had been so rushed.

The half empty bottle of wine was slapped down on the table that JB slumped at, his hand coming to comb through his thick dark locks as he rubbed his temple with the heel of his palm. JB shot Adrien a toothy grin when he noticed the blond’s stare and took another swig of wine, downing at least another eight of the bottle in one go.

Adrien shuddered at the thought of this being the man that was about to give him advice or teach him _anything_ that had to do with humans, let alone attractions or anything to do with sex. Still, as the inebriated model pointed to the chair next to him Adrien found himself cautiously moving to sit beside the now sprawling and laughing man.

JB took a moment, wiping tears from his eyes at some unspoken joke that caused him such joy. He sniffed and looked out over the lit up garden that surrounded the drive and Adrien followed his eyes.

The lighting was perfect, cascading over bushes and trees perfectly to set fire to their leaves in the hues of pink and purple. He wondered absently if any of the flowers he saw actually were that color or if it were just the brilliant setting. The gravel drive that dug a rut through the bushes looked almost like something from a fairytale.

A pathway to a new world.

Adrien sat a little more easily in his chair and folded his arms over his chest as he looked up at the night sky, then back down to the garden.

Thinking about the flowers calmed him a bit, actually. Thoughts of fauna distracting him from the clenching in his gut.

Was he going to enjoy what he was about to hear? Or was he even going to understand what this man had to say?

He wasn’t sure, but if it meant finding out what was wrong with him, then it was worth it.

Maybe after this he could finally condemn his feelings for the new Marinette as just being a result of shock due to finding out she was Ladybug.

“Have you ever been in love?” JB cut into his thoughts after a moment.

Adrien was shocked, not by the question, but by the sobriety that gripped his companion’s voice. “Yeah...yeah, I have.”

JB hummed thoughtfully, leaning back in his chair with the bottle of wine propped on his knee thoughtfully. His feet found themselves on top of the table comfortably, as if they were a centerpiece that had always been there.

If Adrien had any skill with a camera he would have liked to photograph the young man.

Moonlight mixed with the pink and purple of the garden to bounce off his silver suit and into his bright blue eyes. His darkened olive skin and nearly raven locks making him seem even more elegant than he already did in the sunlight. He was nearly silhouetted by the moon and lights, the whites of his eyes shining like pearls in his shadowed skull.

Adrien had to give him credit: JB was a gorgeous man. Now if only what he had to say was worth the bottle of Rosé he had nearly drained.

“I’ve been in love many a time,” he admitted after a thoughtful pause, nodding as if he was pleased with the confession. “It’s hard to tell where one started and ended, really. They just seemed to keep on going till they didn’t anymore.”

Adrien nodded, already regretting his choice of coming out here.

What did this have to do with anything?

Was he just drug here to listen to and confirm another drunken rambling session of a co worker?

If so, you could count him out. He had better things to do than listening to this guy’s problems.

Maybe he could sneak away still if he was fast enough.

“Have you ever loved a man?”

Had he been stabbed?

Had a spear been run through Adrien’s chest?

The question ran through him like a bullet through his lungs, seizing their succession of rapid panting.

He wished he had Plagg with him to double check if he was still alive or not, but he was on his own and based on the rapid pace of his fluttering heart, he was still alive.

Barely.

“W-what?”

JB looked him dead in the eye then, turning those blazing pearls on Adrien.

Adrien felt like JB could dig a hole through his soul and find the answer himself with those eyes. “Have you ever loved a man? I don’t know if it can get any more simple than that.”

Adrien must have swallowed his tongue because suddenly he was choking and sputtering on it.

After watching him flounder like a fish out of water JB laughed a let out a chuckle that echoed around the entire building.

“I’m guessing that’s a yes then,” JB relinquished as he wiped away his tears with the neck of his bottle. “Or perhaps an, ‘I don’t know yet’. It’s alright. I won’t remember any of this tomorrow. Trust me. So, just know that your secret is safe with me.”

That didn’t do much for helping Adrien’s panicking nerves. He was stock still, every nerve in his body alight as he sat with his hands clenching the arms of the chair.

This was a bad idea.

This was a really bad idea.

He felt like he was going to break; like a wound up spring being held together by a single ribbon that was about to slip free.

And yet, he didn’t move to free himself.

He stayed and waited even longer for JB to continue.

The drunken model finally sighed, looking up at the moon. “I don’t understand why society does it. But, they feel the need to label people like you and me. I’m surprised you haven’t heard of any. But, then again, I’m also not.”

There was a pause as a took another drink and set down the empty bottle at last. “Sexuality, unlike what I’m guessing you thought earlier, is not about sex. Or, at least, not entirely. It’s about the people you are attracted to and what about them you like. Kind of like a bakery. You like certain things and you really hate others.”

The model scrunched up his nose. “Like in America how everything there is made with Nutella or ‘unicorn’ colored. Blah, all idiotic ideas. But people still like them.”

Adrien couldn’t have been any more lost.

Even if he had a map of what was going on in JB’s mind he was sure it would have been scribbled out in crayon and had wine stains smearing the wax to illegibility.

He didn’t know if it was because JB was drunk or because he was so tired and his nerves and mind were so worn down by him stressing over Marinette and the Akuma for the past few days, but nothing coming from the model was making sense.

“I’m sorry, but you’ve lost me,” Adrien admitted, his hands sweating a little at the realization that he was admitting to not understanding something even a drunk person did.

_Wait, if he’s drunk doesn’t that make it harder to understand?_

“Love!”

_Nope, definitely understood that._

“Love, attraction, want, desire, passion! They are all linked to your sexuality,” the model sang out with a burst of joyful infatuation. “Want something different than the Éclair you have? Go find someone with a Croissant that would like a taste of you. Want something similar? Find someone with a cone or a Dacquoise and spend a little time taste testing them. Want both? Go for it! Try everything out.”

Why...why was this making sense?

And why did this man have to choose pastries that were oddly shaped like what Adrien suspected JB to be hinting towards.

He felt his stomach groaning at the thought of knowing these things, and if his father would find out that he did. But still, he needed to know more. He needed to know if something was wrong or if this was normal.

JB seemed to think about his own bakery analogy, rolling it over in his mind before nodding to confirm that he liked it.

“That’s how the attraction works. Does that make sense?” JB asked as he sat forward and rested his head on his tented hands, his eyes sliding sideways to the blond beside him.

Adrien mulled it over. “Okay, maybe this is a lot more complicated than I thought it was. But it does make sense. Kind of.”

JB smiled, his ravid ador for the subject only growing till he suddenly bounced from his seat, swinging his bottle in hand.

“LGBT, my friend. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and sexualities galore beyond the front label. Pick what you want to try out being until you find what you are looking for,”--he pointed his bottle at Adrien like a carnie’s cane--”what _you are._ ”

He sat back and for once Adrien noticed that he was calmer. His ravings seeming to take the drunken and childish energy from him.

Adrien still couldn’t help himself from trying to discover what one of those words meant. He knew what it meant to be gay. One of those terms, however, had started turning in his mind, and he found himself repeating it.

Bisexual.

“So, what does that make you?” Adrien asked after a moment.

Suddenly, JB’s grin of self-satisfaction faded, changing into something more sad and tired, aging him in a mere number of seconds.

“I’ve spent so long asking myself the same thing,” he muttered after a moment, standing up to weigh his wine bottle in hand.

Adrien tried to speak again but without a word or warning he cocked back his shoulder and threw the bottle as hard as he could down the drive, missing and having it land in the grass next to the gravel. Adrien couldn’t tell if it had broken or not, but he had a feeling the ground’s keeper had their work cut out for them.

He finally unglued his eyes from where the glass had landed to slide onto the man that stood next to him. Framed in the purple and pink and haloed by the moon he looked almost heavenly, if not for the stiffness in his shoulders and jaw.

Then he sighed, and the tension was gone from his body, replaced by a reserved regal posture.

“The thing is, this community, the LGBT+ people, can’t always give you what you want. Sure, you can get a label and prance around with a button and go by their standards, but what does that really do for you? I mean, it may help you, my friend, but for me, it was just something else for them to call me. To label me.”

He sighed, seeming to steel himself for what he was going to admit next. “I tried going by bisexual, but that never properly fit. Then pan, still not a match. Hell, someone even said I was ace since I had only slept with one person.”

Adrien went stock still. He shouldn’t be hearing this. It was too personal and even JB seemed to realize it.

There was a long pause, and not one that Adrien distested. He found himself sliding forward to come closer to the tipsy model who seemed everything short of insightful.

Finally, he spoke, and Adrien would never forget his next words.

“I don't need a label because I am what I am. I am _who_ I am. I am me, and that is enough.”

He sighed, a deep and aged sound. “Or at least it should be.”

He turned then, stopping to ruffle Adrien’s hair and offer him a hand up from his seat.

Adrien gladly took it, standing to offer JB a grateful nod and embrace. “You’d best be running back to daddy before he gets too pissed about me stealing you.”

Adrien nodded. “I think I’ll be another minute. I--I wanna have some time to think about what you said.”

JB nodded, his drunken smile replacing his sober look. “I’ll stall for you.”

His parting gift was a wink and a pat on the shoulder. Or at least that’s what Adrien thought it was, until he heard the door crack maybe an inch, then pause.

“I don’t know if this will help at all, but, ignoring or denying your feelings will only bring you grief. Trust me. And, by the way, whoever he is...he’s a lucky son-of-a-bitch to have someone like you chasing him.”

And with that he was gone, leaving Adrien with nothing but his thoughts, the moon, and the smell of wine drifting through the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *nervous laughter* H-hi guys. It's been a while with this one.
> 
> Ok, not gonna lie, I wrote myself into a rut on this one and then kinda didn't know how to get out ~~then forgot about it cause omg I love Just Like Clockwork and everyone and their fucking cat wants Scrawl Mates~~ but I'm really hoping I'm gonna be able to just keep on rolling with this one.
> 
> Here's to hoping I'm not a total failure at posting. ~~jk i totally am~~


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